When this
knowledge is fully assimilated, it changes the aspect of life so completely
that it would be impossible for me to tabulate all the advantages which flow from
it. I can only mention a few of the principal lines along which this change is
produced, and the reader’s own thought will, no doubt, supply some of the
endless ramifications which are their necessary consequence.

But it must
be understood that no vague knowledge will be sufficient. Such belief as most
men accord to the assertions of their religions will be quite

useless,
since it produces no practical effect in their lives.But if we believe in these truths as we do in
the other laws of nature – as we believe that fire burns and that water drowns
– then the effect that they produce in our lives is enormous.

For our
belief in the laws of Nature is sufficiently real to induce us to order our
lives in accordance with it. Believing that fire burns, we take every

precautionto avoid fire; believing that water drowns,
we avoid going into water too deep for us unless we can swim.

Now these
beliefs are so definite and real to us because they are founded on knowledge
and illustrated by daily experience; and the beliefs of the Theosophical
student are equally real and definite to him for exactly the same reason. And
that is why we find following from them the results now to be described:

1.We gain a
rational comprehension of life – we know how we should live and why, and we
learn that life isworth living when
properly understood.

2.We learn
how to govern ourselves, and therefore how to develop ourselves.

3.We learn
how best to help those whom we love, how to make ourselves useful to all with
whom we come into contact, and ultimately to the whole human race.

4.We learn to
view everything from the wider philosophical standpoint – never from the petty
and purely personal side.

Consequently:

5.The
troubles of life are no longer so large for us.

6.We have no
sense of injustice in connection with our surroundings or our destiny.

7.We are
altogether freed from the fear of death.

8.Our grief
in connection with the death of those whom we love is very greatly mitigated.

9.We gain a totally
different view of life after death, and we understand its place in our
evolution.

10.We are
altogether free from religious fears or worry, either for ourselves or for our
friends – fears as to the salvation of the soul, for example.

11.We are no longer
troubled by uncertainty as to our future fate, but live in perfect serenity and
perfect fearlessness.

Now let us
take these points in detail, and endeavour briefly to explain them.